Luke Littler has opened up about his heated on-stage incident with Gian van Veen during a Premier League Darts night in Manchester, insisting his reaction was directed at supporters and not his opponent. Speaking to Online Darts in Bournemouth, the teenage star admitted he has moved on from the fallout, though fans in Brighton did not let it go. Littler explained that when van Veen came inside double 15, he looked up, had a drink of water, and did a little fist bump towards Faith and her dad. As the crowd started screaming, he responded to them, but felt van Veen escalated things by looking back and staring at him, despite still having a dart in hand. Littler clarified: "I didn't do it to him, I did it to Faith, her dad and the crowd." He also claimed unseen parts of the exchange included van Veen putting his darts down on the table, and Littler called him a crybaby, but after van Veen won, Littler picked up his darts and said, 'Well done, you got the win.'
Reflecting on his Premier League campaign, Littler admitted it has been inconsistent, with a difficult night in Brighton where he had the worst average and just didn't want to be there due to lack of preparation and motivation. He revealed he only had about 16 to 18 hours at home before, limiting practice time. Despite this, he looks forward to Rotterdam and believes he can improve, stating, "I can be as good as I want." He is chasing the top spot, currently held by Jonny, and aims to get more points and nightly wins. Littler also discussed equipment changes, switching back to Gen 1 darts and practicing with prototypes ahead of Rotterdam.
Littler addressed the social media reaction to the van Veen incident, noting he knew it would blow up and comparing it to past exchanges like Gerwyn Price and Daryl Gurney. He acknowledged the controversy brings more viewers and potential rivalries. For upcoming Premier League nights in Rotterdam, Liverpool, or Leeds, he is bracing for hostile crowds, expecting the worst and learning to deal with booing, as he did in Brighton by shrugging his shoulders. He emphasized his rapid rise means he is still learning on and off the oche, but with family support, he will get better. In a relaxed mood during an exhibition in Bournemouth, he enjoyed meeting fans and having fun, focusing on what's next, including preparing for tournaments and coming alive in big moments.
